I know
by BadAtPuppyDogEyes
Summary: Fax one-shot. If you don't like character death, just wait through it. It was a happy and somewhat cliched ending. Soft November is the song.


Ugh, it seems like the only thing I'm any good for is one-shots

**Ugh, it seems like the only thing I'm any good for is one-shots. Ah well, they're fun. But I WILL make myself write a proper story next time I write. nods happily Ok, here goes. Hope it isn't too bad. I think Max is a bit out of character, but hey, what's done is done.**

**Disclaimer: No one, not even the School, owns Maximum Ride but James Patterson.**

**Max POV**

I walked into the room. Stark white and full of chemical smells. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that I didn't like this place one bit. But there was an _extremely_ good reason I was coming here. And he was lying on the bed with tubes stuck up his nose.

Fang, the stupid, moronic, and completely self-sacrificing birdboy had thrown me out of the way during a fight. There were Flyboys fighting us in from all directions, but our new tactic was to dive into the trees and weave around them until we were out of sight. Unfortunately, the Flyboys had thought up a new tactic too. No trees no place to hide. They were knocking down trees and one came _this_ close to squashing me into a pancake. Unfortunately, idiotic, aggravating and completely… (yes, I _will _say it) sweet Fang pushed me out of the way. Guess who got squished into a pancake instead?

Now here he was, lying in a bed at St. Mercy's hospital. He's unstable; the doctor said we shouldn't hope for too much. But Fang's a fighter, he'll get through. He has too, otherwise…

I sat down by the chair next to the bed. "Hey Fang."

His eyes opened slightly. "Yo," he mumbled.

He didn't sound too good. "How you feeling?"

"Like shit," he smiled, and I shivered.

Keeping to the role, I was about to tell him off for language when he shifted and grabbed my hand. He was sick, dangerously so, so I didn't fight his touch. His words sounded forced. He was even worse than I thought. "Max, can you play a song for me?" He looked up at me with eyes that were almost pleading.

It near broke my heart.

I nodded harshly. "Anything Fang." He smiled up at me. Again, my heart did somersaults.

"Soft November, by Angela's Dish."

I got out the flock's iPod. Yes, after a LOT of pleading, the flock somehow convinced me to get an iPod. Now that we had it, I wasn't going to complain. But it did take a lot of leadership to try and get them to share.

I stuck both ear phones in his ears, trying not to seem too motherly. It killed me to see Fang, my best friend, my brother, my right-hand man, my everything, lying in a hospital bed dying. He couldn't die like this. We were meant to go down together, all 6 of us. He couldn't…

Fang grabbed one of the ear phones and stuck it into my ear, his hand lingering a tiny bit on my cheek as it came to rest by my arm again.

_White walls and empty hallways  
Nine o'clocks my wake up call  
Drip drip what a sinking feeling  
Tick tock tick tock now it's time to go_

Where was he going with this? I shot him a questioning glance and he held my gaze with eyes that showed everything. The pain, the hurt, the regret, the longing, the fear. His mask had dropped completely.

_Are you scared cos I'm not baby  
We're just not built to last  
There's an end to every story  
Bye bye flash flash it goes so fast_

He could not be serious.

"Fang, no."

He tried to sit up, but collapsed. "Max, the doctors said that it's an 80 chance I'm not gonna make it. I'm too weak to even sit up."

"Fight it, Fang! We need you! Me, the flock, you CAN'T go! That's an order." My face was stubborn but I could feel the tears streaming down it and couldn't help but let out a small sob. The music played in the background.

_So when I fall asleep tonight  
Could you stay and hold me tight  
And could you pray that ill be with you tomorrow  
Cos the pain is gripping me  
__And the drugs are as useful as a song  
Soft November rain washes_ _me away_

Fang lifted his hand up to my face again and looked into my eyes. He sighed and was about to drop it again, but I held it there. If he was going to go, I wanted – no, needed – him to know. I moved my tear-stained face against it and kissed it.

He smiled, and it stayed on his face this time. Did you hear that crack? It was my heart.

In the music, the chorus had come around again. When it got to the words, Fang mouthed the words, "Hold me tight."

I wasn't going to say no. I lay down on the bed with him. I was positioned higher up on the bed than he was, and pressed his head into my shoulder, like he'd done so many times for me.

I can't believe it had taken me this long! I was such an idiot! Here, I had a guy who was literally dying in my place, and I'd needed drugs to tell him how I feel.

Fang was Fang. There would be _no-one _I could ever imagine myself with other than him. Now, in possibly his last…no. I would NOT think like that. Fang was going to make it. But if he didn't, there would be no awkward barriers against us. I put aside all my brotherly feelings for him.

"Fang, I love you."

Fang grinned from ear to ear. "And you call me an idiot."

I didn't smile. I didn't have the heart to.

Me, the brilliant, tough, slightly-full-of-herself Maximum Ride, actually took THIS long to tell the person she loved how she felt.

"I love you too, Max. You know." I nodded once and kissed his forehead, hugging him tighter than before.

The song was almost unbearable by this time.

_Hold me now as I fall to sleep  
I'll meet you in your broken dreams  
Stay here now as I fall to sleep  
I see the light it's taking me away  
Will you remember me?_

I'll remember him for as long as I live. I'll never love anyone even close to this much.

_So when I fall asleep tonight  
Could you stay and hold me tight  
And could you pray that ill be with you tomorrow  
Cos the pain is gripping me _

_And the drugs are as useful as a song  
Soft November rain washes_ _me away_

I cried. I thought I even saw a tear in his eyes. Then, he closed them.

_Yeah, the pain is gripping me  
__And the drugs are as useful as a song  
Soft November rain washes_ _me away_

The guitar faded away and Fang suddenly felt cold and stiff under my arms.

"Fang?" No answer. I shook him. No! He couldn't go! NO!

"FANG!!" I screamed. Why was it me who got this life? Couldn't I have been the happy teen with a perfect boyfriend and brilliant brothers and sisters? The wings, they're freedom but they're torture. And now, Fang was gone.

I lied on the bed holding him. The tears dried until I was racking dry sobs. The flock didn't come and I suffered on my own, mumbling Fang's name, kissing his face, praying he'd wake up. Just…wake…up…

I woke up to Fang's face.

"Fang!"

"Max, what's wrong?"

"You're here! You're – you're-" I cut off. He was alive he was here. Like the tough, brave leader I was, I started crying.

Fang sat me up and held me. I put my arms around him. "Max, it was only a dream. It's ok."

We sat like that for a while more, and it was peaceful. It was now or never.

"Fang, I love you."

He stiffened. He pulled away to look at me. He gripped my shoulders and seemed confused, and maybe hopeful, but it was dark so I could've just imagined it.

"Max," he started hesitantly, "what have you been smoking…?

I laughed. "Let's just say it was one hell of a dream, ok?"

His eyes widened, he was in _deep_ shock. But then he smiled. The very same one he gave me last time I'd told him. From ear to ear.

I smiled back and leaned against him again. He held me.

After a while, he kissed me on the forehead and walked to the door.

"Night Max."

"Night Fang."

It was almost funny, and kinda pathetic, how dopey we looked with the grins on our faces. It was lucky none of the flock was here to tease us about it later. I couldn't care less though.

People dream of that perfect fairytale ending. This wasn't an ending, it was the _best_ damn beginning ever.

Fang was about to shut the door, but kept it open a crack.

"Hey Max?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

He was silent for a while.

I walked over to the door to face him. He looked at me and his mask was completely gone. There was so much love in those dark eyes that I caved. I gave him a quick kiss on the lips before I went back to bed. Or at least, I'd planned to. He held my hand and dragged it on. He tasted like…like...grapes. Weird.

He lingered once we drew away. "I love you too," he said.

"Yeah," I whispered, "I know," and gently closed the door.

**Ok, that was it folks! Hope you enjoyed it.  
And yeah, I know I do go kinda crazy on the ...'s (...)  
****Please review! Even if it's only a one-shot. Everyone loves comments. I don't mind flames. **

**Thanks!**


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